Hyperacusis
Overview
Hyperacusis is a health condition characterized by an over-sensitivity to certain frequency ranges of sound (a collapsed tolerance to normal environmental sound). A person with severe hyperacusis has difficulty tolerating everyday sounds, some of which may seem unpleasantly loud to that person but not to others.
Symptoms
- Impaired ability to tolerate normal environmental sounds
- Ear pain
- Increased stress level
Causes
- Strychnine
- Bell's palsy
Diagnosis
The signs and symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Hyperacusis. This medical information about signs and symptoms for Hyperacusis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Hyperacusis signs or Hyperacusis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Hyperacusis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Hyperacusis symptoms.
Treatment
The most common treatment for hyperacusis is retraining therapy which uses broadband noise. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), a treatment originally used to treat tinnitus, uses broadband noise to treat hyperacusis. Pink noise can also be used to treat hyperacusis. By listening to broadband noise at soft levels for a disciplined period of time each day, patients can rebuild (i.e., re-establish) their tolerances to sound. When seeking treatment, it is important that the physician determine the patient's Loudness Discomfort Levels (LDL) so that hearing tests (brainstem auditory evoke response) or other diagnostic tests which involve loud noise (MRI) do not worsen the patient's tolerance to sound.